Plate Array

The Plate Array Microphone is based on an original idea of Umashankar dating back two decades. It is constructed on a clear acrylic plate, using five measurement grade electrets capsules with ruler-flat frequency response, arranged in cross like shape, with limbs of dissimilar lengths. This arrangement of five microphone capsules results in a microphone with some very desirable properties. The microphone has the frequency response of small diaphragm capsules combined with the low noise of large capsules. The microphone has very unusual directional properties. The front pattern is a widish cone - wider than many shotgun microphones. But there is no pickup at all at the rear but the lowest frequencies, yielding a much higher figure of merit than an shotgun microphone.

Unlike shotgun microphones, the polar pattern is constant, whether in a non-reverberant field (outdoor) or a reverberant field (most indoor locations). Also unlike shotgun microphones, this microphone is not very sensitive to wind noise. The microphone is designed to be powered by a phantom voltage of between 12 volts and 48 volts.

We are producing this microphone as kit. Included in this kit are a windshield system, both fabric (for light wind) and a furry (for extreme conditions).